


Whumptober 2020 - 15 - Mortality

by Celticgal1041



Series: Whumptober 2020 [15]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Bleeding Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Thomas, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27033202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celticgal1041/pseuds/Celticgal1041
Summary: Panting, he lifted his hand from his belly, confirming what he already knew – he was rapidly bleeding out.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949548
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Whumptober 2020 - 15 - Mortality

Thomas stumbled, his body growing weaker with every step he took, yet knowing that to stop now would be an almost certain death sentence. He dragged his gaze upwards from the ground to try and orient himself, but the reality was that every tree looked just like every other one in the rainforest, and he didn't know the area well enough to recognize any of the slight differences.

Panting, he lifted his hand from his belly, confirming what he already knew – he was rapidly bleeding out. A low whine of complaint burst from his throat as he considered how unfair life could be. He'd been in a similar situation once before in his life and couldn't believe it was happening again. Except this time there was no Nuzo and no gunpowder. This time he was entirely alone, and given the volume of blood he was losing, he would probably die alone too.

For most people, the realization of their own mortality would have been frightening, but Thomas had long ago made peace with the idea of death. It was no longer something to be afraid of, but instead something to be respected, and he lived each day as though it might be his last in the hopes that his legacy would outlive his mortal form. Of course, that didn't mean he'd go peacefully.

The thought had him staggering forward once more, even though he had no idea where he was or where he was heading; _away_ would have to be a good enough destination for now. His right hand was back against the ugly wound in his stomach, pressing uselessly at the flow of red that refused to abate.

He had no sense of where his pursuers were, or if they were even still behind him, even though he was definitely making it easy for anyone not half-blind to follow his trail given the fat drops of blood he was leaving behind. Maybe that would work in his favour, he thought to himself as he swayed, bumping against another tree before righting himself and taking another step.

The knife that had pierced his flesh just below his belly button had been long and wide, its serrated teeth shimmering dangerously in the sunlight before being buried in his gut. Its entrance had taken his breath away, pulling from him just a low grunt as it penetrated.

Out was so much worse, with each jagged ridge sawing at his skin, leaving a trail of devastation behind. The feeling of literally being torn in two had pulled a howl of pain from his chest that had sent scared birds fluttering from the trees. It was the sight of their flight that had met his glazed eyes after he'd fallen to the ground, too stunned to even curl up around his gruesome injury.

He'd faded then, his vision blurring, and his hearing filling with white noise as his body struggled to deal with the fiery ache burning low in his belly. Time lost all meaning, and its passage was marked only by the constant flow of his blood that first soaked into his shirt and shorts, and then painted the ground around him. When he'd finally regained his senses, he found himself alone, although he had no idea how long that would last.

Gaining his feet had been another exercise in willpower and pain as he stubbornly refused to give into the sharp ache that demanded he stay still. His first steps had been uncoordinated and slow, but he'd rapidly managed to fall into a limping half-run that only made him want to scream in pain every third or fourth step.

Now, he had no idea if he was being pursued, but he hoped the amount of blood he was leaving behind would convince his attackers that he was too close to death to bother with. Of course, there was every chance that belief would prove true.

His feet tangled once more, and this time he couldn't stop himself from falling, impacting with the ground hard enough to drive the remaining air from his lungs. With a low, heartfelt groan, he rolled from his side to his back, his strength leaking into the ground beneath him along with his blood.

He tried desperately to slow his ragged inhales, each jerky spasm of his lungs tugging horribly at his wound, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't do it, and the world grew fuzzy again with his light-headedness.

"Thomas, come on," a familiar voice called.

Magnum let his head roll towards the sound, his vision still hazy and refusing to clear. Sluggishly, he blinked several times, the indistinct shape several feet away sharpening with his efforts. The sight that greeted him couldn't be here, but despite that fact he could here himself replying. "Nuz?"

His dead brother was motioning him forward with one hand, even as he kept an eye on the area around them to ensure they remained undisturbed. "Over here, Tommy," Sebastian said. "You'll be safe here."

With difficulty, Magnum shifted his gaze, noticing for the first time a high wall next to where his friend was standing. It was hard to tell from his angle on the ground exactly what the wall represented, but it was the first place he'd found that offered even a semblance of protection.

Incrementally, he rolled over to his side, managing to get one elbow beneath him before his strength gave out. "Need y'r help, Nuz" he rasped, recognizing there was no way he'd be covering the distance between himself and safety on his own.

"You can do it, brother," Sebastian encouraged, his face alight with a wide grin that seemed very out of place.

Thomas hung his head as he struggled for air, while his limbs trembled with exertion and blood loss. "Can't," he panted out, every fibre of his being warning him that he'd exceeded his body's limits.

"You're not seriously giving up, are you?" Nuzo taunted, though his amused expression took the sting from the words.

Magnum swallowed thickly as he refocused on his friend. 'Why won't you help me?' he thought as the world dipped and swayed around him.

"You sure don't resemble the White Night from Robin's books," Nuzo went on, still not making any moves to help the injured man.

"Not real," Thomas protested breathlessly, doing his best to ignore the way his supporting arm trembled beneath him.

"The books might not be real, but the SEAL they were based on is," Sebastian countered. "Now man up and get over here already; I'm gettin' tired of waiting."

The finality of the man's words had Magnum sighing in resignation. Gritting his teeth, he finished rolling over, getting his other arm and both knees under him before pushing to his feet. A wave of vertigo assaulted him with the change in altitude, and he staggered sideways against a tree, its sturdiness the only thing keeping him from falling back to the ground.

"Just a few more steps and you'll be safe, Tommy," Nuzo again reminded him.

Magnum pushed away from the tree trunk and stumbled forward as quickly as his hunched position allowed, his gaze firmly pinned on the wavering destination in front of him. Each step stretched his wound, spilling more drops of red, but he was too far gone to notice.

When he reached the wall, he staggered against it, needing it to keep him upright. Several long seconds passed as he battled to overcome the pulsing agony in his middle before he could look around to see where he'd ended up.

"This way," Nuzo beckoned, prompting Thomas to lean against the wall as he headed towards his friend.

'Huh' he thought to himself as he arrived at a gap in the stone barrier. Moving through it, he took in the structure's layout, surprised to find himself inside a walled Heiau. This version was older and far less common than the flat, open platforms found in most of the temples that dotted the islands. That this one was surrounded by a rock barrier made it ideal, since Magnum was certain he'd long ago pushed past what his body could endure.

"Just a few more steps, Tommy," Nuzo instructed from the nearest corner.

Magnum didn't even think about what he was asking of his body, simply commanding his feet to move as he shuffled forward. Moments later, he collapsed against the wall, sliding down its rough and uneven surface until he was on the ground. His head spun, and every part of his body ached and cried out for release from the pain.

"You need to bind that wound with something," Sebastian said, the man suddenly crouched down beside him. The expression on his face told Thomas everything he needed to know about his condition, but it didn't matter anymore.

He was done. His body had nothing left to give. He had no medical supplies and had no idea where he was, other than he was hopefully safe from discovery by the men who'd hurt him. This is where he would die, but at least he wouldn't die alone.

He rolled his head so he could look at his friend. "Thanks f'r coming, Nuz," he breathed out on an exhale. "Means lot…you here a' the end."

Sebastian smiled, his features reflecting a mix of resignation and compassion. "No place else I'd rather be, buddy," he replied as he shifted positions, seating himself on Magnum's left side.

His brother's presence brought a sense of peace, dulling the sharp pain that had plagued him for the past few hours. Gradually, his breathing slowed, and his eyelids drooped, his body growing lax as awareness slipped away. Next to him, Nuzo kept watch.

* * *

It was the loud squawk of a bird that roused him from his sleep and had him blinking against the bright sun lighting up the space around him. His brow furrowed at the sight of the walls surrounding him, and for a moment, he couldn't remember where he was or how he'd gotten there.

With effort, he pushed himself up from the slumped position he'd woken in, wincing when a sharp pain bit at his stomach. Absently, he covered the sore spot with one hand, grimacing when pressure only made the ache worse.

"What the?" he muttered out loud as he took in the large red stains on his clothes. Lifting the fabric of his shirt, which was stiff with dried blood, he spotted the red and tender scar on his belly. His discovery was followed by a sharp inhale as memories of the previous day assaulted him, with one standing out especially clearly. "Nuzo?" he asked as he frantically looked around for any sign of his friend.

Gripping the wall behind him with one hand, he gained his feet, still searching for the other man. "Nuzo!" he called again, ignoring the way the bruised skin on his abdomen protested his deeper breath.

No matter which way he looked, there was no evidence of the man, leaving Magnum bewildered at the confusing memories. He'd been dying – he was certain of that – and Nuzo had saved him from his pursuers.

But Nuzo was dead. He and the others had stood at his grave not even a year ago, the pain of his loss still too raw and fresh. Then how had he been here, with Thomas, when he'd needed him most?

Magnum shook his head in dazed confusion, struggling with the strong emotions Nuzo's presence had left behind. Slowly, he moved towards the gap in the wall and exited the Heiau, looking around once more to confirm he was still alone. 'How?' he thought to himself, his hand drifting again to his midriff where a freshly healed wound hid beneath his shirt.

"Some things you just don't question," he heard Nuzo's voice saying, followed by the familiar, rolling laughter of one of his best friends. As the chuckle faded away, Magnum grinned and shook his head, having no idea what to think but grateful to be alive to enjoy another day. Which presented another problem – he still had no idea where he was.

"Now what?" he asked aloud, resting his hands on his hips as he surveyed his surroundings. His fingers brushed against the top of something hard, prompting him to reach into his back pocket. Astonished, he stared at his cell phone, something he was certain had been taken when he'd been attacked. "No way," he muttered as he unlocked the device, confirming that it was in fact his.

"Guess that solves the problem of how I get home," he said, already scrolling through his list of recent calls as he decided who he should contact. Hesitating for a moment, he scrolled past both Rick and TC and then Higgins as well, finally selecting the only person who could possibly understand what he'd experienced.

"Kumu," he greeted when the call was picked up. "I'm kind of lost. Any chance you could ping my phone and then come pick me up?"

He grinned broadly when Kumu agreed and then settled down to wait to hear back. If nothing else, he had a hell of a story to go with his new scar.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to AZGirl for proofing; all remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> This story was based on the day 15 prompt: Into the unknown: possession / magical healing/ science gone wrong
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined!


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